Beijing CDC: Recent COVID-19 activity shows declining trend

Recent COVID-19 activity in Beijing has fluctuated, peaking in early May and then gradually declining, with overall intensity lower than previous epidemic levels, the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday.

The clinical severity of illnesses caused by this wave of COVID-19 has not shown significant changes, and visits to fever clinics have remained stable without straining medical resources, aligning with the national trend. Other respiratory pathogens in the city are currently at low activity levels, according to the center.

The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration on Wednesday annouced that the upward trend of COVID-19 cases nationwide has slowed, with most provinces having already peaked or showing a downward trend, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The dominant circulating strain is the sixth-generation subvariant NB.1.8.1 of the XDV variant, which has not shown any significant changes in pathogenicity or clinical severity.

According to surveillance data on COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases, since March 2025, influenza and other acute respiratory infections in China have remained at low levels, while COVID-19 cases have shown a gradual increase. Currently, most provinces have either peaked or are experiencing a decline in cases, the administration said.

Data also indicates regional differences, with activity levels generally higher in southern provinces than in northern ones. Nationwide, visits to fever clinics and severe cases have not exceeded previous peaks, and there has been no significant impact on normal healthcare services. Most clinical cases are mild or asymptomatic. Existing testing reagents and treatments remain effective against the NB.1.8.1 subvariant.

On May 20, the National Health Commission held a press conference where the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that, according to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 cases have recently risen in parts of West Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Southwestern Europe, and Western Asia. Additionally, experts of the CDC stated that whooping cough cases in China remain stable, with reported cases down over 80 percent compared to the same period last year.